Colleagues List, July 21st, 2012

Vol. VIII No. 2

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/

Canadian Anglican Google Groups:
http://tinyurl.com/7529fj8

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

Now "Quicklinks" are included 
with many items. Otherwise, scroll
down to find your selection in the 
body of the blog, as in the past.

*****

Dear Friends:

This is my first full issue of
Colleagues List after a brief
hiatus in June. I have included
articles saved from May through 
the present in this issue.

Also included for the first time 
in this issue is my full teaching
program (five activities) for the 
fall at both the church and 
university. Some of these I share
with my teaching colleague Jock
McTavish and my wife Marlene.

---

Special Item this issue:

"After Imperialism -
Christian Identity in China"

This book represents a worthy 
development in evangelical 
mission theology.

http://tinyurl.com/77lx8tp

---

Colleague Comment this week comes
from two supportive friends who
speak to contents in my last issue.

Doug Shantz - on John Henry Newman
Gary Nickel - on Martin Marty
(read below)

---

Colleague Contributions - the
following three regulars provide
interesting articles this week:

Jim Taylor - on the end of life
http://tinyurl.com/78oj8bk
http://tinyurl.com/7nfzwmc


Ron Rolheiser - on moving beyond bad habits
http://tinyurl.com/6luu2zm

Martin Marty - on Father Andrew Greeley
http://tinyurl.com/769ue4r

---

Net Notes:

"On Snake Handling" -
An assessment of the strange rite 
by an American fundamentalist group 
(Sightings)
http://tinyurl.com/7xamsq4

"Listening to Jerry" -
Perhaps it's time we listened
to the voice of an abuser
(America Magazine)
http://tinyurl.com/88trm4v

"Common Ecumenical Vision" -
The World Council of Churches
keeps working on consensus
(Anglican Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/8ykoat5

"Latest Global Christian Stats" -
The Pew Foundation reveals its
most up-to-date report (UCA News)
http://tinyurl.com/6un4exk

"The Healing Power of a Handshake" -
An intriguing reflection on the
meaning of a common gesture in
special circumstances (The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/7lseuys

"Cuts Will Hinder Refugee Sponsorship" 
The current Canadian government has
been challenging traditional views in 
support of New Canadians (Anglican Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/7qsf858

"Science and Religion in Quest for Truth"
Here is a review of a new book on the
subject by John Polkinghorne 
(America Magazine)
http://tinyurl.com/7wxaoqu

"'God Particle' - Science/Religion Debate"
New discoveries at CERN in Geneva open up
a new dimension of science/faith dialog
(The Christian Century, The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/7ov934j
http://tinyurl.com/7vf7zro

"Leaky - Evolution Issue to be Soon Settled"
Atheist scientist predicts the end of more
challenges from conservative Christians
(CBC News)
http://tinyurl.com/7bbnoes

"US Nuns - Get Heroes Welcome Back from Rome"
The sisters went to Rome to give an account.
They returned as national heroes
(UCA News, America Magazine)
http://tinyurl.com/85azqge
http://tinyurl.com/7pdsvdc
http://tinyurl.com/6sopema

"Major Catholic Schism Ahead Says Theologian"
Respected Catholic historian sees danger ahead
in for his church (UCA News)
http://tinyurl.com/7spvrsf

---

Global Faith Potpourri:

This week I offer fourteen news stories that
have appeared this summer and are provided 
by Ecumenical News International, Geneva

---

Wisdom of the Week:

Provided by Sojourners Online:

Read special insights from -

Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes,
Jackie Robinson, Richard Rohr,
Francis de Sales, René Padilla,
Corrie Ten Boom, Cesar Chavez,
Osip  Mandelstam, Thomas Merton,
Nelson Mandela, Swahili Proverb,
Mother Teresa (read below)

---

On This Day;

Provided by the New York Times -

July 16, 1918 - Russia's Czar Nicholas II, 
and family were executed by the Bolsheviks.
http://tinyurl.com/7hu8e8d

---

July 18, 1936 - the Spanish Civil War began 
as Gen. Franco leads uprising in N. Africa.
http://tinyurl.com/7wmlc2y

---

July 19, 1941 -  Churchill launched his 
"V for Victory" campaign in Europe.
http://tinyurl.com/83mhh2s

---

Closing Thought - Mechtild of Magdeburg

---

It's good to be writing for you again.
Please send me your thoughts and the
email addresses of new Colleagues List 
members.

Wayne

********************************

St. David's and ACTS Ministry Announce:

Our Spiritual Travelers Tour for 2013
TURKEY AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

April 22nd - May 8th, 2013

Tour sale begins with deposit starting summer 2012.
Full payment due, January, 2013.

Our major tour themss are: Classic Greek and Roman,
Early Christian, Muslim-Christian and the beautiful
scenery of the Mediterranian coast of SW Turkey. 

*Enjoy Istanbul (Constantinople) long a link between 
East and West.

*Classical cities like Troy will be visited and 
intriging ancient sites will be revealed.

*Pilgrims from many of the regions we will visit 
were present in Jerusalem at Pentecost - people 
from "Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia" -
(Acts 2.)

*Saint Paul founded churches in many of the centers 
of central and western Turkey and we will spend 
quality time in places like Ephesus.

*We will come to know cities mentioned in the
Book of Revelation (chapters 1-3) by Jobn. 
Cities like Pergamon, Thyatira, Philadelphia, 
Sardis and Smyrna

---

Details such as costs and prep notes will be 
provided in a customized travel brochure which
will be sent to all who have expressed interest.
They will also be posted and on the St. David's 
Spiritual Travelers Discussion List Group as 
they become available. 

The Listgroup is your place to express yourself!

To join our unique internet discussion contact:
Deb. Charnusaki - debcharnuski@hotmail.com

Your tour hosts:

Marlene and Wayne Holst
waholst@telusplanet.net (or)
marleneaholst@gmail.com
403-286-7416

---

NOTE: David Rostad will visit St. David's
for a Special Turkey Tour Information Night
Monday, September 10th, 2012.

This event will serve as the official "launch"
of the tour.

All are welcome!

*****

'WELCOMING THE STRANGER' WEEKEND AT ST.DAVID'S
Fri. Sept. 21st-Sun. Sept 23rd, 2012

Special Guest: 
Mary Jo Leddy, Romero House, Toronto.

Watch for new information on this
special weekend focused on Canada's
policy for welcoming new Canadians
as information becomes available.

*****

ANNOUNCING OUR FALL AND WINTER PROGRAMS

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY 

Tuesday Night University Study sponsored
by the Faculty of Continuing Education:

HERESIES AND HERETICS - The Real Story of
Early Christianity. Cont Ed Course 198-001

Ten Sessions - Sept. 25 - Nov. 27th.

Click this link for costs and details:
    
http://tinyurl.com/77xuwnu

---

Faith and Spirituality Centre Fall Study
Sponsored by the Christian chaplains of
the University of Calgary

TWELVE STEPS TO A COMPASSIONATE LIFE
A Study of Karen Armstrong's latest book.

Six Weeks - Oct. 19th - Nov. 23rd.
Native Centre Board Room, McEwan Student Centre
at the University of Calgary.

Cost of the book only: $15.

*****

AT ST. DAVID'S UNITED CHURCH

Monday Night Study:

Engaging the early Christian Church -

REVELATIONS - Visions, Prophecy and Politics
in the Book of Revelation, by Elaine Pagels

Ten Monday nights Sept. 17th - November 28th.
7-9 PM.

Cost of the course: $50.

Books on sale at the church, late August and
early September.

---

THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

"'Wisdom' in the Biblical Literature"
  A Six week series running through 
  fall and winter. 10-11 AM

All welcome. No cost.

*****

SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS

Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/

Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/St_Davids_United_Church/Audio.html

*****

STUDY ARCHIVES

An accumulation of thirty-five books studied
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4

This collection of study resources represents
more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at
St. David's, plus extra courses too!

You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.

******************************************

SPECIAL ITEM:

AFTER IMPERIALISM
Christian Identity in China
and the Global Evangelical Movement
Edited by Richard R. Cook/David W. Pao. 
Pickwick Publications. Wipf and Stock, 
2011. $25.66. ISBN #976-1-60899-336-9.

Publisher's Promo:

This collection of essays is committed to 
the belief that evangelicalism continues to 
have the historical assets and intellectual 
(hermeneutical and theological) tools able 
to contribute to the global church.

Evangelicalism possesses assets with 
explanatory power to address significant 
theological and cultural issues arising 
out of the churches in the Global South. 
Evangelical approaches to contextualization 
and biblical studies can produce valuable 
fruit. Therefore in May 2008 over a dozen 
evangelical scholars (Chinese and Western) 
from the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan, 
came together to address issues of Christian 
and evangelical identity. The "Inter-Cultural 
Theological Conversation" was titled "Beyond 
Our Past: Bible, Cultural Identity, and the 
Global Evangelical Movement." 

This set of papers from the conference 
demonstrates the value of the careful 
balancing of judicious appropriation of 
the social sciences and thorough biblical 
inquiry. Questions of evangelical identity 
in China and around the world are addressed 
from the disciplines of history, biblical 
studies, as well as systematic theology/
contextualization.

---

Editors' Words:

These (very penetrating) essays arise from a
commitment to the belief that evangelicalism
continues to provide the historical assets 
and intellectual tools for the global church.

(Here) you will find a judicious appropriation
of the social sciences and thorough biblical
inquiry. 

(We present) a Chinese perspective on the 
historical background to the introduction
of Protestant Christianity into China. The
author (Ka Lun Leung) shows the close ties
between the Christian missions movement and
the grwoth of imperialism in China, and spells
out the long term consequences in the life of
Chineses Christians and churches as a result
of linking missions and imperialism. (Related 
essays are also included in this section.)

The second part of the book focuses on the
Bible. Here, we learn to attend to the
Ancient Near Eastern cultures of the biblical
texts. (This section shows the need for a
correlation of biblical scholarship in the
West and its ramifications for the churches
of the biblical south.)

The third and final section includes three
case studies of contextual theology. (Here
we learn of both fidelity to the Bible and 
the appropriate use of the social sciences
to address the thorny questions of identity
and contextualization.

One contributor, David Lee, finds help from
Chinese wisdom in avoiding the narrow
understanding of Christ that has emerged in
the West. (Chinese Christian thinkers are
able to) triangulate scripture, culture and 
the world of wisdom.

---

The dialog on which this book is based
brought rich insights into the Bible,
theology and the future of evangelicalism.
We come away encouraged that evangelicals
could continue to contribute to the global
churches and help pave the way for an
evermore fruitful global theological 
discourse.

Perhaps Chinese evangelicals will lead the
way in showing their brothers and sisters
in God's family how to contextualize the
faith without domesticating it - how to
render the faith their own without 
repeating the sins of the past and
universalizing their social and cultural
preferences.

- from the Introduction (Cook and Pao)

---

My Thoughts:

The appearance of a quality study such as
this one is an encouraging sign that a
younger generation of evangelical Christians
in east and west are not content to ignore
or condemn the world outside their spiritual 
communities, but are open to engage and use 
the tools of modern scholarship beyond 
biblical studies to deal with thorny problems 
arising from history, politics and culture.

At the same time, the evangelical gift of
strongly affirming and advocating Holy 
Scripture to the world in which we live, 
is strongly evident.

The twelve contributors to this collection
are constituted largely of Asian scholars 
living in the USA and Asia itself. Most of 
them are 'post-colonial' in terms of their 
experience - so that they can more honestly 
assess the realities of imperialism without 
having to defend or deny the church's 
missionary activity in China during that 
unfortunate time. This brings refreshing 
honesty and clarity to the discussion.

A book like this also presents and 
anticipates the emergence of a new force
in the Christian world of the future - 
Chinese Christian theology. Most of the 
contributors were educated in the west.
But things are going to change. More and
more - with the emergence of the indigenous
Church in China - we are going to hear
from theologians whose education has
been largely in the east.

We know of parallels - African, other 
Asian and Latin American theologies 
have been influencing our thinking for 
several generations. Now, Chinese 
theology - replete with the influence 
of ancient wisdom and culture - can be 
added to a future "Christian mix."

Our awareness of what the future holds is
limited, but a book like this gives me
a considerable amount of hope for a truly 
universal church.

(end)

---

I am particularly pleased to review this
book for Missiology - the academic 
journal of the American Society for
Missiology*. I have been a member of
that society for a generation, and 
have watched how evangelical theologians
have been joining members of the classic
"ecumenical" (Protestant and Catholic)
founders of the association. Their
participation has always been evident,
but a new generation and the broader
ecumenical and global nature of this 
mission group has become more evident.

* I will share my review shortly.

---

A book like this will be treasured by
"China Watchers" and those who are
interested in the ever-developing 
world of mission studies in our time.

---

Buy the book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/82snabf

Buy the book from Wipf and Stock:
http://tinyurl.com/77lx8tp

*****

COLLEAGUE COMMENT

DOUG SHANTZ
Calgary, AB.

June 14th, 2012

Hi Wayne,

Great to be getting your blog once again. 
Always stimulating.

I have a question about your comment on 
J.H. Newman, that Like many of the reformers 
(within and beyond Anglicanism) he was a 
defender of Protestant principles so that 
his reception within the Catholic Church is 
all the more remarkable.

I doubt his commitment to Protestant principles.
I have attached some notes I made a while back 
in a lecture on Newman.

All the best,

Doug

DOUG'S NOTES

From Ian Ker, The Achievement of John Henry 
Newman. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre 
Dame Press, 1990, pp. 106-109.

- Some regard Newman's Lectures on Justification 
(1838) as his most profound theological writing.  
(Ker, p. 106)

- Here Newman seeks to find a “Via Media” between 
Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, between “the 
erroneous idea of justification by faith only” and 
the “defective theory of justification by obedience.”

Both are partially right:

Protestants are right that we are saved by what 
Christ is shows that works are not a condition 
of our salvation;

Roman Catholics are right that we are saved 
by what we are..." ie. The Roman scheme is closest 
to the truth: “Justification consists in love, or 
sanctity, or obedience" and to be justified is not 
just to be counted righteous but actually to be 
made righteous.”

- Newman: Justification means both God’s justifying 
and man's being justified.

In justification there must be “an inward divine 
presence or grace, of which both faith and spiritual 
renovation are fruits.” (p. 108)

*****

GARY NICKEL
Ft. Saskatchewan, AB

June 9th, 2012

Hi Wayne,

Great mailing as usual.

Also you can use or adapt this if you want:
I read through Martin Marty's "The Gospel 
According to the Other Mary", beyond his 
commentary on the artist's work and similar 
works to his last two paragraphs which have 
some very interesting observations about a 
topic that many of us wonder about 
occasionally.  

He speaks of the non-religious and non-
believers who are drawn to the Jesus story 
and issues of faith, and then on to what 
many of them have done and do which really 
enhances the Christian faith.  He closes 
this gem with, "Believers may regret their 
inability to believe, but then say or chant 
"thank God for them"."  Thanks to MM, for 
taking us where we sometimes wonder.

Blessings,

Gary

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

JIM TAYLOR 
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log

Sunday May 20, 2012

"What Happens When Life
 is no Longer Worth Living"


http://tinyurl.com/78oj8bk

---

Wednesday July 18, 2012

"Heretical Notion - The Bible Can Be Wrong"


http://tinyurl.com/7nfzwmc

---

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Website
June 10th, 2012

"Moving Beyond Bad Habits"



http://tinyurl.com/6luu2zm

---

MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL

Sightings
May 28th, 2012  

"Father Andrew Greeley"

http://tinyurl.com/769ue4r

*****

NET NOTES

ON SNAKE HANDLING

Sightings
June 14th, 2012

"On Snake Handling"
by Seth Perry

http://tinyurl.com/7xamsq4

*****

LISTENING TO JERRY
Child Abuser Tells His Story

America Magazine
July 16th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/88trm4v

*****

COMMON ECUMENICAL VISION
New Ecumenical WCC Statement

Anglican Journal
July 18th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/8ykoat5

*****

LATEST GLOBAL
CHRISTIAN STATS
Pew Forum Report

UCA News
July 16th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6un4exk

*****

THE HEALING POWER 
OF A HANDSHAKE

The Tablet (UK)
June 30th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7lseuys

*****

GOVERNMENT CUTS WILL
HINDER REFUGEE SPONSORSHIP
Church Officials Concerned

Anglican Journal
July 9th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7qsf858

*****

SCIENCE AND RELIGION 
IN A QUEST FOR TRUTH

New Book by John Polkinghorne

America Magazine
June 4th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7wxaoqu

---

'GOD PARTICLE' DISCOVERY 
RENEWS SCIENCE AND RELIGION DEBATE

The Christian Century
July 16th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7ov934j

EVOLUTION AND BELIEF
Confessions of a 
Religious Paleontologist

The Tablet, UK
July 21st, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7vf7zro

*****

LEAKY BELIEVES EVOLUTION ISSUE
WILL SOON BE SETTLED

CBC News, May 29th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7bbnoes

*****

US NUNS GET HEROES WELCOME
AFTER THEIR TRIP TO ROME
They Refuse to be Muffled

UCA News
July 17th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/85azqge

---

US WOMEN RELIGIOUS 
PREPARE FORMAL RESPONSE

July 18th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7pdsvdc

---

The Context:

THE JOURNEY OF AMERICAN WOMEN
RELIGIOUS SINCE VATICAN II

America Magazine
July 23rd, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6sopema

*****

TOP THEOLOGIAN WARNS OF
MAJOR CATHOLIC SCHISM AHEAD

UCA News
July 11th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7spvrsf

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
13 June 2012

Dutch Christian group to appeal decision 
on "gay therapy"

(ENI news) - A conservative Dutch Christian 
foundation called Different said it will appeal 
a government order telling health insurers they
 are not obligated to offer reimbursement for 
the foundation's "therapies" offered to gay 
Christians. The group has not yet decided which 
legal procedure they will use for their appeal, 
director Henk van Rhee told ENInews on 13 June. 
"We expect to know the exact steps we will take 
within two to four weeks," he said, noting that 
denial of reimbursement could affect the 
organization financially. Different, which 
is part of a larger Amsterdam-based 
organization called For Salvation of the 
People, offers "therapies" aimed at people 
who are struggling with their homosexuality 
from a faith perspective.

---

18 June, 2012

Indian churches in Kerala explore 
"green" options

(ENI news) - Christians in India's southern 
Kerala state are exploring "green" options 
and linking the need for environmental 
protection to the practice of their faith. 
The majority Roman Catholic church recently 
approved an environmental policy titled 
"Towards Green Meadows" that calls for 
promoting eco-spirituality, nature 
conservation and waste management to build 
"a new culture in environmental conservation."

---

20 June, 2012

Faith groups concerned about civilians 
trapped in Homs, Syria

Geneva (ENI news) UN envoys, faith 
leaders and humanitarian groups, 
intensified international efforts 20 June 
to secure safe passage for about 800 Syrian
civilians, half of whom are Sunni Muslims 
and half Christians, trapped  in Homs, 
Syria by armed combat between government 
and opposition forces. The International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said 
it and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent "are 
attempting to evacuate and otherwise 
assist people stranded ... by the ongoing 
fighting" between rebels and forces loyal 
to President Bashar al-Assad. 

---

22 June 2012

Russian Orthodox leader ends visit to China

(ENI news) - A top leader from the Russian 
Orthodox Church on 22 June wrapped up a 
visit to China, saying that the church 
hopes Orthodoxy may flourish in China despite 
present constraints. Metropolitan Hilarion, 
chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's 
department for external church relations 
(DECR), was on a working visit to China to 
explore Russian-Chinese religious cooperation. 
On 19 June, Hilarion led a delegation to 
Beijing for a consultation in which the 
"current status of religious organizations" 
in China was discussed, including the 
"complex issues associated with the position 
of Orthodoxy in China," as reported by the
DECR website. 

---

26 June 2012

U.S. mosques struggle to find 
American-born imams

Sharon, Massachusetts (ENI news) - The 
Islamic Center of New England (ICNE) has 
always been led by imams born outside 
America. The mosque would like to change 
that, but it's proving harder than leaders 
had thought. As this suburban mosque has 
discovered, American-born imams are nearly 
impossible to find. Ads from mosques 
seeking imams who are fluent in English 
are readily found in Muslim-American 
magazines and newspapers. The North 
American Imams Federation, an advocacy 
group founded in 2002, gets more than 
100 requests for help every year from 
mosques seeking religious leaders.

---

9 July 2012

Historian predicts "bright future" for 
Christianity, but warns of crisis in 
Catholicism

(ENI news) - A top church historian has said 
he believes Christianity faces a "bright future" 
worldwide, but predicted the Roman Catholic 
church will undergo a major schism over its 
moral and social teaching. "Christianity, the 
world's largest religion, is rapidly expanding
- by all indications, its future is very bright," 
said Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, 60, professor of 
the History of the Church at Oxford University 
and an Anglican deacon. His book, "Silence in 
Christian History," will be published in the 
fall by Penguin. 

---

10 July, 2012

In Australia, Christians and Muslims mourn 
asylum seekers who perished

(ENI news) Ministers in Australia's third-
largest denomination have met with Muslims and 
their imams to jointly lament a group of asylum 
seekers who drowned while trying to reach 
Australia. At least 90 people died on 21 June 
after an overloaded and poorly maintained boat 
capsized near Christmas Island, off Australia's 
northwest coast, on its way from Indonesia. The 
remaining 200 passengers were rescued, according 
to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. 
Six days later, 130 asylum seekers were rescued 
from another boat.

---

11 July 2012

Bible museum planned for Washington, D.C.

(ENI news) A large-scale Bible museum will open 
in Washington, D.C. within four years, reports 
Religion News Service. The announcement came 
from planners who have been touring the world 
with portions of their collection. Cary Summers, 
chief operating officer of The Museum of the 
Bible, a nonprofit umbrella group for the
collection of the billionaire Green family 
of Oklahoma, said they considered Washington, 
Dallas and New York but decided the nation's 
capital was the best location. The final name 
of the museum and its exact location have not 
been disclosed but planners hope to confirm 
a location later this summer.

--- 

12 July 2012

Reaction mixed to Episcopal Church's 
approval of same-sex rites

(ENI news) Gay and lesbian Episcopalians are 
celebrating their church's approval on 10 July 
of liturgical rites for blessing same-sex 
couples. But conservatives are threatening 
to take "drastic" steps to distance themselves 
from the Episcopal Church, reports Religion 
News Service. Episcopalians meeting at their 
triennial General Convention in Indianapolis, 
Indiana overwhelmingly approved the new rites. 
Lay members and priests voted 171-41 in favor 
of the same-sex blessings. Bishops voted 111-41, 
with three abstentions. 

---

13 July 2012

God particle" discovery ignites debate 
over science and religion

(ENI news) - The Higgs boson is perhaps better 
known by its sexier nickname: the "God particle." 
But in fact, many scientists, including the 
physicist for whom it is named, dislike the 
term, reports Religion News Service. In 1993 
when American physicist Leon Lederman was 
writing a book on the Higgs boson, he dubbed 
it "the goddamn particle." An editor suggested 
"the God particle" instead. One thing is clear: 
The 4 July discovery that marked a new chapter 
in scientific knowledge also reignited debate 
over the universe's origins - and the validity 
of religious faith as scientific knowledge 
expands. 

---

16 July 2012

Russian patriarch calls for reconciliation 
in ceremony at massacre site

Moscow (ENI news) - Patriarch Kirill I of the 
Russian Orthodox Church spoke at a service on 
15 July to consecrate a church near a forest 
where thousands of Polish army officers and 
intelligentsia were massacred by Stalin's 
secret police in 1940. Kirill also remembered 
the thousands of Russians who were slaughtered 
there, many for their religious faith, and 
said the site should serve as a place to 
unite Russians and Poles. 

---

17 July, 2012

Scottish government delays decision 
on same sex weddings

(ENI news) - Gay rights campaigners expressed 
"disappointment" that the Scottish Government 
has delayed passing legislation that would 
recognize gay weddings while leaving faith 
groups free to choose whether they wanted to 
conduct such ceremonies. At the end of a two-
hour cabinet meeting 17 July in Edinburgh, a 
government spokesman said that no decision 
had been reached but that one would be made 
by the end of this month. 

---

19th, July 2012

UK Muslim leader expresses concern 
over German ruling on circumcision

(ENI news) - A Muslim leader in the United 
Kingdom warned today that anti-Muslim and 
anti-Jewish hatred will be fueled in Britain 
and other parts of Europe following a German 
court decision to prohibit circumcision. In 
an interview with ENInews, Ibrahim Mogra, 
assistant secretary-general of the Muslim 
Council of Britain, said he was "deeply 
concerned" about the ruling earlier this 
month from the District Court of Cologne 
stating parents could be prosecuted for 
causing bodily injury if they allow a 
child to be circumcised. 

---

Evangelical church in Brazil 
celebrates centennial

(ENI news) - The centennial of the 
evangelical presence among the indigenous 
peoples of Brazil is being celebrated at
the 7th National Council of The centennial 
of the evangelical presence among the 
indigenous peoples of Brazil is being 
celebrated at the 7th National Council 
of Evangelical Indigenous Pastors and 
Leaders, according to a news release 
from the Latin America and Caribbean 
Communication Agency. The event takes 
place from 18-22 July in Chapada dos 
Guimaraes, 65 kilometers from Cuiaba, 
the capital city of the state of Mato 
Grosso in Brazil.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online

June 14th, 2012

"There are years that ask questions 
and years that answer."

- Zora Neale Hurston

---

June 19th, 2012

"When peoples care for you and cry 
for you, they can straighten out 
your soul."

- Langston Hughes

---

June 20th, 2012

"A life is not important except in 
the impact it has on other lives." 

- Jackie Robinson

---

June 21st, 2012

"We do not think ourselves into new 
ways of living, we live ourselves into 
new ways of thinking." 

- Richard Rohr

---

June 27th, 2012

"Have patience with all things, but 
chiefly have patience with yourself. 
Do not lose courage in considering your 
imperfections but instantly set about
remedying them  every day begin the 
new task." 

- Francis de Sales

---

July 11th, 2012

"What is the value of a Christianity in 
which Jesus is worshipped as Lord, but 
Christian discipleship—"the way of Jesus"
— is regarded as largely irrelevant to life 
in the modern world?"

- René Padilla

---

July 12th, 2012

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the 
door of resentment and the  handcuffs of 
hate. It is a power that breaks the chains 
of bitterness  and the shackles of 
selfishness."

- Corrie Ten Boom

---

July 12th, 2012

"When you sacrifice, you force others to 
sacrifice. It's an extremely powerful weapon."

- Cesar Chavez

---

July 13h, 2012

"My turn shall also come: I sense the 
spreading of a wing."

- Osip  Mandelstam

---

July 16th, 2012

"What is my new desert? The name of it 
is compassion. There is no wilderness so 
terrible, so beautiful, so arid and so f
ruitful as the wilderness of compassion. 
It is the only desert that shall truly 
flourish like the lily. It shall become 
a pool, it shall bud forth and blossom 
and rejoice with joy. It is in the desert 
of compassion that the thirsty land turns 
into springs of water, that the poor 
possess all things."

- Thomas Merton, from "The Sign of Jonas"

---

July 18th, 2012

"My hunger for the freedom of my own people 
became a hunger for the freedom of all people, 
white and black. I knew as well as I knew 
anything that the oppressor must be liberated 
just as surely as the oppressed. A [person] who 
takes away another [person's] freedom is a 
prisoner of hatred ... is locked behind bars 
of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not 
truly free if I am taking away someone else's 
freedom, just as surely as I am not free when 
my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and 
the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity."

- Nelson Mandela

---

July 19th, 2012

"Who trusts in God lacks nothing."

- Swahili Proverb

---

July 20th, 2012

"You can do something I can’t do. 
I can do something you can’t do. 
Together let us do something 
beautiful for God."

- Mother Teresa

*****

ON THIS DAY 

July 16, 1918 - Russia's Czar Nicholas II, 
his wife and their five children were executed 
by the Bolsheviks.

http://tinyurl.com/7hu8e8d

---

July 18, 1936 - the Spanish Civil War began as 
Gen. Francisco Franco led an uprising of army 
troops based in North Africa.

http://tinyurl.com/7wmlc2y

---

July 19, 1941, British Prime Minister Winston 
Churchill launched his "V for Victory" campaign 
in Europe.

http://tinyurl.com/83mhh2s

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT

MECHTILD OF MAGDEPURG

Do you want to have love?
If you wish to have love, 
then you must leave love.

---

Comment:

Letting go is a message all mystics
teach us. Mechtild reminds us of a
deep paradox. We sometimes must leave
love if we are to have hove.

We need to let go of everything at
some point in time, and so we must
develop the art of letting go. We
will even have to let go of love,
as Mechtild reminds us.

What are my experiences of letting
go? What follows after that. Have I
had to let go of love? Why? Under
what circumstances? How did it change
me, transform me? To let go can be 
to grow.

- Matthew Fox "Christian Mystics"

(end)

Colleagues List, July 14th, 2012

Vol. VIII. No. 1

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

Dear Colleagues:

I conclude a month-long silence to let you know that
Colleagues List is back to its normal summer schedule!

From now until the end of August, I hope to provide 
a regular bi-weekly mailing. A complete issue should 
arrive July 21st. Come September, I return to weekly 
production.

I was in hospital for 11 days as the medical people 
were able to discover and remove an abscess in my 
lower pelvic area - a by-product of my cancer 
surgery two years ago. 

The cancer was cured then and fortunately remains 
so, but this intervention was needed to correct 
a post-operative fault needing attention. It was 
really affecting me.

A number of you have written with feedback from 
my last Colleagues List issue. I hope to respond 
personally to each of you as I create next week's 
issue. It will include your contributions which 
I truly appreciate.


It's good to be home, enjoying our Alberta summer, 
and feeling much better again. It's been a good 
learning experience. 


I thank Marlene for her wonderful support.

Wayne

---

Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/

Canadian Anglican Google Groups:
http://tinyurl.com/7rgycjf

Colleagues List, June 9th, 2012

Vol. VII. No. 39

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/

Canadian Anglican Google Groups:
http://tinyurl.com/74orgcx

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

New "Quicklinks" are now included
with many items. Otherwise, scroll
down to find your selection in the
body of the blog, as in the past.

*****

Dear Friends:

This is my first regular issue of
Colleagues List since Marlene and
I returned from our May-long trip
through North Eastern USA.

I have learned that getting back
into the discipline of weekly
production is no small challenge!

---

I introduce a new title in this
issue. It is "John Henry Newman -
Spiritual Writings" and it was sent
to me by colleague Robert Ellsberg
http://tinyurl.com/7y7ee3w

This week, I hope you enjoy -

Colleague Contributions by:

Lorna Dueck (Toronto) who writes about
the power of prayer as experienced by
Liberian women in the midst of the
Charles Taylor tragedy.
http://tinyurl.com/6q6j5zu

Jim Taylor (Okanagan) who introduces
us to the power of the "meeting of the
eyes" http://tinyurl.com/7ser84m

Beth Porter (Richmond Hill) interviews
a commentator who attempts to explain what
is going on among student groups in Quebec
today. http://tinyurl.com/88u9dax


Martin Marty (Chicago) reintroduces us to
the gospel of the 'other' Mary (Magdalene)
http://tinyurl.com/7hyzzmr

---

Net Notes:

"Reel Faith" - an intriguing article
on how the drive-in theatre opened the
door to the megachurch (Atlantic)
http://tinyurl.com/7nx3553

"This Just Isn't Working" - when very
important programs in your church are
just not getting support, what should
you do? (The Christian Century)
http://tinyurl.com/7vt95l8

"A Sustainable Future for Kairos" -
much thought is being invested in the
redevelopment of Kairos - a Canadian
agency that links the churches and
government funding (Anglican Journal)
http://tinyurl.com/7y5478e

"Pope's Butler Could Get 8 Years" -
the Vatican intrigue continues, and
here is what could happen if it is
proven that 'the butler did it'
Huffington Post Canada)
http://tinyurl.com/6lkdsqs

"Creationists Win Korean Text Battle" -
here is an article that suggests the
American creationist issue is going
global (Uca News)
http://tinyurl.com/7lke952

"Religion and Environmental Politics" -
here is a revealing article on how the
current Conservative government is
reversing many green policies
(Courier Islander - canada.com)
http://tinyurl.com/d5efavm

"US Nuns Reject Vatican's Reprimand" -
the Vatican's heavy hand is being
resisted by many American religious
(The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/8x4qn89

"Veto Sends Nun's Book Sales Soaring" -
As might be expected, Vatican publicity
has produced many more readers for the
nun's book on sexuality (CNN)
http://tinyurl.com/bu2n9ob

"Global Anglicans Challenge Canadians" -
Fellow-members of the Anglican Communion
are expressing concern for their Canadian
co-religionists (Christianweek.org)
http://tinyurl.com/782536f

"Kung - Pope is Provoking Disobedience" -
Hans Kung expresses his views on why the
the top-down approach of the pope is
counter-productive in Germany
(The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/bsgl69r

"Fundamentalist Preacher Dies of Snakebite"
- this story has been told before but it
bears repeating (The Christian Post)
http://tinyurl.com/cfdyd9n

---

Global Faith Potpourri;

Fifteen news stories are provided by
Ecumenical News International, Geneva

---

On This Day;

Provided by the New York Times -

Elizabeth II of Britain crowned queen
16 months after the death of her father,
(1952) http://tinyurl.com/899g67n

Chinese army troops stormed Tiananmen Square
to crush the pro-democracy movement many die.
(1989) http://tinyurl.com/6uyspum

RFK shot and mortally wounded after claiming
victory in California's Democratic presidential
primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was arrested.
(1968) http://tinyurl.com/6p9nc2y

D-Day invasion of Europe took place during WWII
as Allied forces stormed Normandy, France. (1944)
http://tinyurl.com/84lbtgl

---

Our Closing Thought this week is from
Hildegard of Bingen, with commentary by
Mathew Fox.

As things wind down for summer, I still plan
to produce one issue of Colleagues List per week
until June, and then one issue every other week
through July and August.

Wayne

********************************

St. David's and ACTS Ministry Announce:

OUR SPIRITUAL TRAVELERS TOUR FOR 2013
TURKEY AND THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

April 22nd - May 8th, 2013

Tour sale begins with deposit starting summer 2012.
Full payment due, January, 2013

More details such as costs to be made available
in the Sunday worship guide and the St. David's
Spiritual Travelers Discussion List Group as they
become available.

To join the list discussion contact:
Deb. Charnusaki - debcharnuski@hotmail.com

Your tour hosts:

Marlene and Wayne Holst
waholst@telusplanet.net (or)
marleneaholst@gmail.com
403-286-7416

---

NOTE: David Rostad will visit St. David's
for a Special Turkey Tour Information Night
Monday, September 10th, 2012

All are welcome!

*****

MARY JO LEDDY WEEKEND AT ST.DAVID'S
September 21st-23rd, 2012

Watch for new information as it
becomes available.

Theme:

"Welcoming the Stranger -
 From Neighbors to Friends"

*****

University and St. David's Autumn
Adult Courses will be announced
here next week.

*****

SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS

Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or)admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/

Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/St_Davids_United_Church/Audio.html

*****

STUDY ARCHIVES

An accumulation of thirty-five books studied
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4

This collection of study resources represents
more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at
St. David's, plus extra courses too!

You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.

******************************************

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice:

JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
Spiritual Writings
Introduced by John C. Ford.

Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY.
$25.50 253 pages.
ISBN #978-1-57075-954-3.

Publishers Promo:

Through his writings, we trace the spiritual
journey of one of the most beloved and
influential Catholic voices of the modern era.

John Henry Newman (1801-1890) is among a handful
of religious figures of the nineteenth century
whose influence today remains broad and ongoing.
As a leading Anglican churchman, Newman created
a stir when he entered the Roman Catholic Church
in 1845 and was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest.
Newman’s critical mind and openness to the modern
world put him at odds with the starkly conservative
spirit of the church in his day, and he endured
carping criticism throughout his life.

Newman wrote about the development of doctrine
and the function of a Catholic university, and
he championed the rights of conscience, the role
of the laity, and the role of intuition along with
reason in the life of faith. Though ahead of his
time in many ways, he was named a cardinal by Pope
Leo XIII, and his influence helped shape the church
of the twentieth century, so much so that Pope Paul
VI called Vatican II "Newman's Council." In 2010 he
was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

The writings selected here trace Newman's spiritual
journey in tandem with the principal events of his
life, offering a unique glimpse into the life and
thought of one of Catholicism's true giants.

--

Rev. John T. Ford, CSC, - is professor of theology
and religious studies at the Catholic University
of America, Washington, D.C. He is the editor-in-
chief of Newman Studies Journal, and has served
as president of the North American Academy of
Ecumenists and the Faith and Order Commission
of the National Council of Churches.

---

Author's Words:

Lead Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark and I am far from home -
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene - one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that Thou
Shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path, but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will; remember not past years!

So long Thy power has blessed me, sure it still
Will lead me on,
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone;
And with the morn, whose angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.

- written, aged 32, while at sea, June 16th, 1833.

---

My Thoughts:

It says something of the nature of John Henry
Newman (1801-1890) that this hymn, quoted
above) was first drawn to my attention through
my readings of Mohandas K. Gandhi.

Gandhi considered this hymn his favourite
Christian expression outside of the words of
Jesus himself. Gandhi felt that the words
adequately reflected his own spiritual philosophy
whereby religion became a constant quest for truth.
Although they were written when Newman was still
quite young and an Anglican priest, they summed
up Gandhi's own humble search for meaning that
placed all religious disciplines under a divine
aegis. For Newman, there was indeed a hierarchy
of religion (and for him the Catholic faith stood
at the pinnacle) he was constantly reminding his
fellow-Catholics, as a cardinal, however, of the
dangers of human presumption.

Early in his career, Newman became associated
with the Oxford Movement (read a brief definition
http://tinyurl.com/7vhegxp) and much of his
learning from that movement continued to inform
and mature his Catholicism.

This book - including selections from Newman's long
career of writing and his special understanding
of the development of doctrine - is ably introduced
by John T. Ford.

---

Newman was well versed in patristic studies,
oratory and teaching. He was a strong defender
of "the sensus fidelium" - the ability of lay
people of God to truly understand Christian faith;
and the importance of belief in the Christian life.

Like many of the reformers (within and beyond
Anglicanism) he was a defender of Protestant
principles so that his reception within the
Catholic Church is all the more remarkable.

During his lifetime, he became a cardinal. A
century after his death, and in our own time,
Newman was declared a saint by Pope Benedict XVI
(September 19th, 2010).

---

If you would like to secure one book that brings
Newman to life through biography and poinant
selections of his own writings, this would be a
good choice.

---

Buy the book:

From Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/7y7ee3w

From Novalis:
http://tinyurl.com/7jw7jfb

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

LORNA DUECK
Toronto, ON

Globe and Mail,
May 30th, 2012

"Liberia proves
  the power of Prayer"

http://tinyurl.com/6q6j5zu

*****

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
June 6th, 2012

"The Brief Intimacy
  of Shared Glances"

http://tinyurl.com/7ser84m

*****

BETH PORTER
Richmond Hill, ON

A Human Future
Summer, 2012

"Understanding Quebec:
 Protests are More Than About Tuition"

http://tinyurl.com/88u9dax

*****

MARTIN MARTY
Chicago, IL

Sightings
June 4th, 2012

"The Gospel According
 to the 'Other' Mary"

http://tinyurl.com/7hyzzmr

*****

NET NOTES

REEL FAITH
How the Drive-in
Helped Create the Megachurch

The Atlantic
June 8th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7nx3553

*****

THIS JUST ISN'T WORKING
When People Don't Show Up

The Christian Century
June 4th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7vt95l8

*****

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR KAIROS

Anglican Journal
June 6th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7y5478e

*****

POPE'S BUTLER COULD GET 8 YEARS
Vatican Scandal Unfolds

Huffington Post Canada
June 6th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/6lkdsqs

---

CREATIONISTS WIN KOREAN TEXTBOOK BATTLE
American Issue Becoming Global One

Uca News
June 8th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/7lke952

*****

RELIGION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS
Green Concern Missing in Government

Courier Islander - canada.com
June 1stm 2012

http://tinyurl.com/d5efavm

---

US NUNS REJECT VATICAN'S JUDGEMENT

The Tablet, UK
June 9th, 2011

http://tinyurl.com/8x4qn89

---

REPRIMAND SENDS NUN'S
BOOK SALES SOURING

CNN
June 6th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/bu2n9ob

*****

GLOBAL ANGLICANS CHALLENGE
CANADIANS TO KEEP THE FAITH

Christianweek.org
June 1st, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/782536f

*****

POPE IS PROVOKING DISOBEDIENCE
Approach Prompts Reaction

Hans Kung,
The Tablet, UK
May 26th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/bsgl69r

*****

SNAKE HANDLING PREACHER
DIES OF RATTLESNAKE BITE

The Christian Post
May 30th, 2012

http://tinyurl.com/cfdyd9n

*****

GLOBAL FAITH POTPOURRI

Ecumenical News International
News Highlights
4 June 2012

Israeli archaeologists find ancient seal
that mentions Bethlehem

Jerusalem (ENI news) - Israeli archaeologists
have said they have unearthed in Jerusalem the
earliest artifact containing the name of
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus according
to the New Testament, in the form of a clay
seal called a bulla. It's significant because
it confirms the biblical narrative of the
existence of a village of Bethlehem within
the Kingdom of Judah, said Eli Shukron,
director of the excavation on behalf of the
Israel Antiquities Authority, which announced
the discovery in late May.

---

German gospel music festival features
new and traditional styles

(ENI news) - Gospel music may have historic
roots in black American culture, but German
organizers of this year's "Gospelkirchentag"
(literally "gospel church gathering") festival
say the vibrant music is drawing growing numbers
of German fans. An estimated 80,000 people
gathered in the west German city of Dortmund
from 1 to 3 June to hear traditional gospel
choirs alongside the diverse sounds that the
genre has influenced. "There are many styles
now that are influenced by gospel and they
are all represented here at the festival,"
said Markus Moehl, spokesperson for
Gospelkirchentag, in an interview.

-----

New leader of Cuban coalition calls
for greater ecumenical partnerships

(ENI news) - The newly elected president of
the Council of Churches in Cuba (CIC) says
he believes Pentecostal and historic churches
can work together "because God calls us to be
God's people." The Rev. Joel Ortega Dopico,
of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, called
on the leaders of the churches to take advantage
of the moment to think about social, ecclesial
and ecumenical projects, "or what we lack so as
to be able to come together as a Cuban family."

-----

Mennonite council stresses global relations,
Kraybill chosen president-elect

(ENI news) - he Mennonite World Conference's
(MWC) triennial General Council, which met 20-
26 May in Bettingen, Switzerland, stressed global
networking, acknowledging that its membership in
the Global South is growing. The council, which
gathered at the St. Chrischona Conference Centre,
also selected J. Nelson Kraybill of Elkhart,
Indiana, as MWC president-elect, according to
an MWC News Service release. Kraybill, who is
a pastor at Prairie Street Mennonite Church in
Elkhart, will begin his six-year term in July
2015 at the next global Assembly to be held in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Assemblies are held
every six years.

-----

Churches ask Philippine government
to improve human rights record

(ENI news) - Church activists from the
Philippines on 30 May criticized the government
of President Benigno S. Aquino III for failure
to improve a climate of rampant human rights
violations, including extrajudicial killings,
forced disappearances and evictions. They spoke
at a public hearing at the Ecumenical Centre in
Geneva organized by the Commission of the
Churches on International Affairs (CCIA)
of the World Council of Churches (WCC).
Also involved were the National Council of
Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and the
Philippine Universal Periodic Review Watch
(UPR Watch), according to a WCC news release.

-----

5 June 2012

Egyptian Christians seek freedom guarantees
ahead of run-off vote

(ENI news) Egyptian Christians are seeking
guarantees they will have freedom of worship
as campaigns for the mid-June presidential
run-off are reaching fever pitch. Christians
hold a crucial number of votes, with six
million Copts being eligible alongside Roman
Catholic, Episcopalians (Anglicans) and some
evangelical groups. The 16-17 June election
pits Ahmed Shafik, a former Prime Minister
of jailed former president Hosni Mubarak,
against Mohammed Morsi, candidate of the
Muslim Brotherhood party. Christians have
not officially backed either of the two,
but Shafik on 4 June warned that voting for
the Islamist group would threaten the rights
of Christians and women, a viewthat appeared
to resonate with the denominations.

-----

Jubilee celebrations in U.K.
end with thanksgiving service

(ENI news) - Four days of celebration in
the U.K. of Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years
on the throne ended on 5 June with a service
of thanksgiving at London's St. Paul's
Cathedral.  Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan
Williams cited St. Paul as he praised the
queen's "lifelong dedication" to the nation
and its people. "I don't think it at all
fanciful to say," said Williams, "that in
all her public engagements, our Queen has
shown a quality of joy in the happiness
of others. She has responded with the
generosity St. Paul speaks of in showing
honor to countless communities and
individuals of every background and
class and race." More than 1,000 invited
worshipers, including members of the
royal family, religious leaders, politicians
and representatives of the 54 nations in the
British Commonwealth, attended the service.

-----

6 June 2012

Rocking Russian grannies to
build church with prize winnings

(ENI news) - A group of six Russian
grandmothers who won second place in
Europe's Eurovision Song Contest have
pledged to use their prize money to
build an Orthodox church in their tiny
home village. The Buranovskiye Babushki,
or Buranovo Grannies, appeared in
traditional red smocks, headscarves
and woolly boots at the televised
extravaganza, hosted by Baku,
Azerbaijan. They raised the roof
with a disco number, "Party for
Everyone." Work on the church has
already started in their home village
of Buranovo, population 650, located
about 1,000 kilometers east of Moscow.

-----

Kenyan churches seek government help
in upgrading security

Nairobi, Kenya (ENI news) - Protestant
denominations in Kenya are urging the
government to waive taxes on surveillance
cameras and other security equipment so
they can better protect their people and
property in the face of recent terror
attacks. The groups, united under the
National Council of Churches of Kenya
(NCCK), made the appeal as grenade
attacks hit churches and Christian
meetings in the cities of Nairobi,
Mombasa and Garissa. "We reiterate
the need to ... subsidize CCTVs (closed
circuit televisions) and other security
related equipment so that churches and
other social places can afford to install,"
said the Rev. Peter Karanja, the council's
general secretary, on 5 June in Limuru
near Nairobi.

*****

7 June 2012

Japanese faith groups oppose
re-starting nuclear reactors

Tokyo (ENI news - A growing number of faith
groups and individuals, citing the quake-
triggered Fukushima nuclear crisis, are
joining voices in Japanese society opposing
the re-start of two nuclear power plant
reactors in the central Fukui prefecture
(state). Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has
said that re-starting the Oi nuclear plant
nos. 3 and 4 reactors, run by the Kansai
Electric Power Co., is necessary to avoid
electricity shortages in the peak summer
usage season.

-----

World Council of Churches
announces Geneva site development

(ENInews) - The World Council of Churches
(WCC) announced it has contracted with the
Implenia Ltd. construction company for the
development of the council's 34,000-square-
meter site in Grand-Saconnex, Geneva,
including the building of a new Ecumenical
Center. The development is expected to take
place in several phases over the next five
to ten years, according to a WCC news
release. The process will begin with a
technical evaluation of the existing
buildings, followed by an architectural
competition. The winner is expected to
be chosen by mid-2013. The beginning of
construction work for the buildings,
comprising 50,000 to 60,000 square meters
of floor space, is planned for 2016/2017,
the WCC said. No financial details were
announced.

-----

Episcopal bishops call on President
Obama to help save Gaza hospital

(ENI news) - The United Nations Relief
and Works Agency (UNRWA) on 1 June ended
its financial support to the Ahli Arab
Hospital in Gaza, an institution run by
the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and
the Middle East, cutting the hospital's
budget nearly in half. Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori, along with
101 Episcopal Church bishops from 43
states and the District of Columbia,
have written to United States President
Barack Obama calling for his intervention
to reverse the decision, according to an
Episcopal News Service (ENS) story.

-----

8 June 2012

Central African churches aid victims
of warlord Joseph Kony

(ENI news) - In the Central African Republic,
churches are aiding victims of the violence
associated with Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony
and his rebel group, the Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA). "Since we are humanitarian and
social [organizations] as churches, we are
paying great attention to the suffering and
needs of these people," the Rev. Andre Golike,
President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in Central African Republic told ENInews in
a telephone interview on 7 June. Kony was
thrust into the limelight by the film Kony
2012, made by a U.S. nonprofit called
Invisible Children Inc., which said it
sought to make him "famous" to influence
his capture. The film has been viewed more
than 90 million times on www.youtube.com.

-----

Thai village will get
first Christian crematorium

(ENI news) - Mennonites in Canada and
the U.S. are helping to build a
crematorium in the village of Borabu,
Thailand, where Christians have run
into difficulties using Buddhist
crematoria for funeral services.
The construction at Living Water
Church began in February and is
expected to be finished in June,
according to a joint news release
from Mennonite Church Canada News
and the Mennonite Mission Network.
With financial help from Mennonite
Church Canada and Bethesda Mennonite
Church in Henderson, Nebraska, the
crematorium will enable Christians
there to perform those ceremonies
for fellow Christians. Thailand is
a majority Buddhist nation where
cremation is the preferred method
of honoring the dead. Borabu is
about 235 miles northeast of
Bangkok.

-----

Fiji government gives Methodist church
limited permission to meet

(ENI news) - The Methodist Church
in Fiji and Rotuma has been granted
permission by the Government to hold
its annual conference, but the church
expressed concerns about the strict
conditions of the permit. Reverend
Tuikilakila, General Secretary of the
Methodist Church in Fiji, welcomed
this move by the police commissioner,
according to a news release from the
Methodist Church in Britain, which
said it welcomed these developments.
If the permit is not withdrawn, as
it was in previous years, it will
be the church's first conference in
four years, the news release said.

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners.online:

June 1st, 2012

"Holiness consists in doing God’s will
joyfully. Faithfulness makes saints. The
spiritual life is a union with Jesus: the
divine and the human giving themselves
to each other. The only thing Jesus asks
of us is to give ourselves to him, in
total poverty and total self-forgetfulness."

- Mother Teresa

---

June 4th, 2012

“We work in the dark — we do what we can —
we give what we have. Our doubt is our
passion and our passion is our task.
The rest is the madness of art."

- Henry James, from  "The Middle Years"

---

June 5th, 2012

"The moment we begin to fear the opinions
of others and hesitate to tell the truth
that is in us, and from motives of policy
are silent when we should speak, the divine
floods of light and life flow no longer in
our souls."

- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in a speech
to the National American Woman Suffrage
Association, 1890

---

"If there is righteousness in the heart/
There will be beauty in character/
If there is beauty in character/
There will be harmony in the home/
When there is harmony in the home/
There will be order in the nation/
When there is order in the nation/
There will be peace in the world."

- Sri Sathya sai Baba

---

June 6th, 2012

"There will be no security in our world,
no release from agonizing tension, no
genuine progress, no enduring peace,
until, in Shelley’s fine words, 'reason’s
voice, loud as the voice of nature, shall
have waked the nations.'"

- Ralph J. Bunche

---

June 8th, 2012

"This earth is a garden, the Lord its
gardener, cherishing all, none neglected."

- Sikh blessing

*****

ON THIS DAY

June 2, 1952 - Queen Elizabeth II of
Britain was crowned in Westminster Abbey,
16 months after the death of her father,
King George VI.

http://tinyurl.com/899g67n

---

June 4, 1989 - Chinese army troops stormed
Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush the
pro-democracy movement; hundreds - possibly
thousands - of people died.

http://tinyurl.com/6uyspum

---

June 5, 1968 -  Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was
shot and mortally wounded just after claiming
victory in California's Democratic presidential
primary. Gunman Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was
immediately arrested.

http://tinyurl.com/6p9nc2y

---

June 6, 1944 - the D-Day invasion of Europe
took place during World War II as Allied forces
stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.

http://tinyurl.com/84lbtgl

*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - Hildegard of Bingen

There is no creation that does not have radiance.
Be it greenness or seed, blossom or beauty. It
could not be creation without it.

- Hildegard of Bingen

The theological word for "radiance" is doxa in
Greek, which means "glory." So the radiance that
Hildegard refers to is more than just light.

However, according to today's science, atoms -
the building blocks of life - contain photons
or light waves. This would seem to substantiate
what Hildegard describes, that all creation is
in a literal way light itself. Look around you.
Do you find a radiance in everything you see?
Can you look for it, find it, touch it in all
that you see today?

- Matthew Fox

(end)

Colleagues List, June 2nd, 2012

Vol. VII. No. 38

*****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

*****

Colleagues List Blog:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com/

Canadian Anglican Google Groups:
http://tinyurl.com/74orgcx

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

*****

Dear Friends:

Marlene and I have just returned home 
from a month in the northeastern USA. 
It was a rich experience, but also quite 
tiring. (Some colleagues who read our 
itinerary could confirm this.) 

It was good to connect with an old friend,
and to revisit a few old haunts.

We saw much that was new and impressive.
Also, some things that disappointed.
Life goes on.

Hopefully, we will offer a regular issue
for you our readers next weekend.

In the meantime, I will be thinking about
how life has remained the same and changed 
for me since I lived and worked in the New 
York City area more than thirty years ago. 

Blessings, to you and your's,

Wayne